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ow    to    Improve    Anglo- 
German   Relations 


By  Professor  Hans  Delbriick 

'rofessor  of  History  in   the   University  of  Berlin, 
Editor  of  "  Die  Preiissische  Jahrbiicher  " 


N  EW  YORK 

E  P- BUTTON  &  COMPANY 

31  West  Twenty-Third  Street 


How    to    Improve    Anglo- 
German   Relations 


By  Professor  Hans  Delbriick 

Professor  of  History  in   the   University  of  Berlin, 
Editor  of  "  Die  Preiissische  Jahrbucher  " 


NEW  YORK 

EP -BUTTON  &  COMPANY 
31  West  Twenty-Third  Street 


COPYRIGHT  1912, 

BY 
E.  P.  DUTTON  &  COMPANY 


"Cbc  -RnlcbcrbocftCT  prew»  l^cw  Kock 


HOW  TO  IMPROVE  ANGLO-GERMAN 
RELATIONS. 

By  Professor  HANS  DELBRUCK. 

Professor  of  History  in  the  University  of  Berlin, 
Editor  of  "Die  Preussische  Jahrbucher." 

The  majority  of  Germans  believe  that  the  strained  re- 
lations with  Britain  are  due  to  British  jealousy  of  the 
enormous  increase  of  German  industry  and  German 
trade.  This  increase  is,  in  point  of  fact,  so  consider- 
able that  in  certain  branches  British  production  has 
already  been  surpassed  by  German.  If  Britain  were 
actually  planning  to  attack  and  defeat  Germany  on  this 
account,  with  the  idea  of  gaining  for  herself  the  present 
German  export  trade  with  all  its  advantages,  then  all 
hope  of  bettering  the  present  state  of  affairs  would  be 
destroyed.  For  it  is  certain  that  the  progress  of  German 
economic  life  will  not  be  arrested,  but  that  it  will,  on 
the  contrary,  develop  more  and  more.  Britain's  jeal- 
ousy would  therefore  have  to  go  on  increasing,  until 
finally  the  catastrophe  was  brought  about. 

But  the  entire  supposition  is  a  false  one.  In  Germany 
the  circle  is  ever  widening  of  those  who  recognise  that 
British  competitive  jealousy,  if  it  exists  at  all,  is  far 
outweighed  by  the  friendship  which  every  merchant  has 
for  his  customer.  Germany  is  one  of  the  largest  con- 
sumers of  British  goods,  and  the  richer  Germany  grows, 

i 

253903 


the  better  customer  does  she  become  to  Britain.  It  is 
certain  that  a  war  between  the  two  nations  will  never  arise 
from  purely  economic  reasons. 

Exactly  the  same  may  be  said  with  regard  to  the  fear 
of  many  British  people  that  Germany  is  preparing  an 
attack  on  Britain,  to  make  a  great  raid  for  the  sake  of 
plunder,  to  impose  a  huge  war  indemnity,  or  to  force 
Britain  to  cede  certain  of  her  colonies.  Even  assuming 
that  such  a  plan  were  in  keeping  with  the  German  na- 
tional character,  that  it  were  practicable,  and  that  it 
were  to  succeed,  there  is  nothing  more  certain  than  that 
Germany  would  have  no  benefit  from  her  gains,  but 
would  have  to  pay  dearly  for  them.  For  a  victory  over 
Britain  would  give  Germany  the  supremacy  in  Europe. 
Europe,  however,  has  never  yet  submitted  to  such 
supremacy,  and  would  unite  to  punish  and  suppress 
Germany,  just  as  she  did  with  Louis  XIV.  and 
Napoleon  I. 

Neither  Britain  nor  Germany  intends  war  against  the 
other.  The  real  reason  of  the  strain  is  that,  to  protect 
her  growing  trade  in  the  first  instance,  and  later  to  safe- 
guard her  interests  in  world-politics,  Germany  has  built 
a  powerful  fleet,  and  Britain  feels  that  this  fleet  is  a 
check  and  a  menace  to  her.  The  German  fleet  is  not 
large  enough  to  be  able  ever  to  weaken  Britain's  naval 
power,  but  it  is  large  enough  to  cause  her  serious  trouble 
if  her  intention  were  taken  up  with  fighting  in  any  other 
part  of  the  world.  I  do  not,  indeed,  wonder  that  the 
British  nation  should  dislike  this,  but  the  British  nation 
in  its  turn  should  understand  that  Germany  cannot  help 
herself.  The  German  Empire  has  practically  no  col- 
onies. It  is  true  that,  in  spite  of  its  sixty-five  million 
inhabitants,  it  has  no  surplus  population,  scarcely  any 
emigration  (about  25,000  yearly),  and,  on  the  other 


hand,  a  very  large  immigration.  Yet  it  requires  col- 
onies, because  it  has  a  very  large  surplus  among  its 
upper  classes.  The  excellent  educational  institutions 
of  Germany  are  well  known:  primary  and  secondary 
schools,  technical  colleges  and  universities.  Thousands 
of  foreigners — Russians,  Americans,  Asiatics — come  to 
study  in  Germany  ( this  year  there  are  as  many  as  5,400) , 
and  the  more  intelligent  among  the  lower  classes  of  the 
nation  are  continually  rising  to  swell  the  ranks  of  the 
university-educated.  Almost  thirty  per  cent,  of  the 
students  of  Berlin  University  are  drawn  from  the  lower 
classes.  In  the  last  three  years  the  population  of  Ger- 
many has  increased  four  per  cent.,  while  the  number 
of  students  increases  four  per  cent,  every  year,  and  it  has 
been  calculated  that  even  at  the  present  day  Germany 
has  already  10,000  students  too  many.  With  these 
splendidly  trained  young  men  Germany  would  be  in 
a  position  to  govern  and  to  civilise  many  millions  of 
people  of  inferior  race  or  of  less  advanced  civilisation,  as 
the  British  are  doing  in  India,  Egypt,  South  Africa,  and 
the  Soudan.  But  ever  since  Germany  has  begun  to 
make  active  efforts  to  obtain  possessions  of  this  kind  it 
has  been  our  experience  that  England  again  and  again 
comes  in  our  way,  and  is  endeavouring,  as  far  as  she 
can,  to  make  the  whole  world  British.  Even  at  this 
moment  England  would  appear  to  be  working  to  bring 
part  of  Persia  and  Tibet  under  her  dominion,  and  further 
divisions  or  redistributions  are  always  in  prospect.  In 
order  that  they  may  not  fare  badly  on  such  occasions  in 
the  future,  the  Germans  have  been  obliged  to  build  their 
great  fleet.  This  step  cannot  be  retraced.  The  question 
now  is,  what  can  be  done,  in  spite  of  the  existence  of  the 
German  fleet,  to  better  the  relations  between  Britain  and 
Germany?  Mr.  Asquith  said  recently  that  the  territory 


4 

and  dominion  of  England  were  sufficiently  great,  and 
she  could  not  desire  to  go  on  increasing  her  responsibili- 
ties. The  truth  of  this  statement  is  obvious.  Already 
400  millions,  i.e.,  one-quarter  of  the  whole  human 
race,  are  under  British  rule.  But  the  course  of  events 
is  often  stronger  than  human  wishes;  and  it  may  be 
that,  not  because  she  desires  it,  but  because  she  cannot 
help  herself,  England  will  bring  still  further  territories 
under  the  protection  of  her  flag.  But  in  that  case 
she  should  remember  that  the  Germans  too  are  a  great 
nation,  who  have  their  own  claims,  and  are  entitled 
to  have  them.  The  relations  between  the  two  countries 
would  at  once  become  less  strained  if  we  in  Germany 
could  feel  assured  that  Britain  was  no  longer  oppos- 
ing our  expansion,  but,  on  the  contrary,  was  further- 
ing it  in  a  spirit  of  friendship,  free  of  competitive  jeal- 
ousy; in  other  words,  that  in  any  future  extension 
of  dominion  on  the  part  of  England  or  any  other  great 
Power,  Germany  should  not  be  denied  her  share.  As 
soon  as  the  Germans  see  that  this  principle  is  recognised 
in  England,  the  insistence  of  public  opinion  that  the 
fleet  continue  to  be  further  strengthened  will  relax — an 
insistence  which  has  been  assuming  most  passionate 
form  since  the  interference  of  England  in  the  Franco- 
German  Morocco  compromise.  And  when  Germany 
begins  to  experience  not  only  the  glory  which  a  large 
colonial  empire  brings  with  it,  but  also  the  burdens 
which  it  entails,  she  will  of  her  own  accord  in  so  far  set 
bounds  to  her  ambition  that  England  will  have  no  fur- 
ther cause  for  anxiety. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below, 
or  on  the  date  to  •which  renewed.  Renewals  only: 

Tel.  No.  642-3405 

Renewals  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  date  due. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


LD21A-50m-2,'71 
(P2001slO)476— A-32 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


YB  06408 


